Securing the Future

Professor Dan Likarish is teaching students to be leaders in information assurance

From Dan Likarish’s perspective, the future is excitedly promising. It’s hard to be anything but optimistic when teaching in one of the fastest growing fields in computer technology – information assurance.

The field is aimed at protecting and securing digital networks and data storage. In other words, information assurance is cyber security.

Likarish, an assistant professor and Information Assurance program coordinator in Regis’ School of Computer & Information Sciences, said he loves what he does because it touches on many different fields. And students who can develop such skills have a bright future.

“Due to recent international data leaking and hacking scandals this field of study has really exploded,” he said. “I can only foresee it continuing to grow as the government and corporate entities take action to protect their information.”

Likarish enjoys being part of a nationally recognized information assurance program. Regis is one of five Colorado schools recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. Regis’ expertise in this field also recently helped reel in a grant from the Department of Defense to develop technology that will allow for better coordination among states, the National Guard and universities in response to cyber security infrastructure threats.

Likarish also enjoys the variety of teaching methods he can use with students. This includes teaching through hands-on experiences like simulation exercises. The National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, in which teams compete to protect a simulated network infrastructure, is one example. Regis’ Denver Tech Center campus hosts the Rocky Mountain regional competition.

“Initially, it’s about teaching the students,” Likarish said. “Then it’s about building lasting relationships. We have tremendous graduates that will provide this field with a great future.”

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